PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AROUND THE WORLD: INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL THEME ISSUE

The purpose of this special theme issue is to examine the present-day situation of public participation in countries around the world through the eyes of particular people. Each of the writers featured in this issue describes the situation in their country based on their experience and knowledge. The original presentations were prepared for a symposium called The State of Public Participation in Nations Around the World: Issues and Dilemmas, which took place at the International Association of People-Environment Studies (IAPS,) conference held in Rome, Italy in 2008. This issue shows that public participation in architectural design and spatial planning processes can now be found in many countries around the world. The countries that appear in this issue are not intended to be a representative sample; rather they are a convenience sample presented by people in the environment-behavior field who have been involved for years in the practice of public participation at different levels and within different contexts in their countries. Their papers offer a fascinating glimpse into the many ways in which public participation is embedded in different contexts and applied in different ways.